Great TV shows with terrible theme tunes

With the rise of binge-watching TV shows, theme tunes have become simultaneously more and less important. While yes, it's now easier to forward through them, you're also more likely to hear at least a smidgen of it more times in a row than ever before.

So we've assembled a list of great TV shows with really rather annoying theme tunes, just so you know when to keep your finger hovering over the fast forward button.

Homeland

Despite the ultra slickness of the show, Homeland's titles have a horribly earnest student film quality. From the "arty" shots of Danes in a maze to that damn tiger mask, they're at odds with the rest of the show. Worse still, that bloody jazz...

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Orange Is The New Black

One of our favourite new shows of last year, this Netflix comedy drama about a women's prison was fresh, funny and incredibly smart. On paper, a theme from Regina Spector sounded like a perfect match. But the screechy song, seemingly designed to be as annoying as possible, provides a grimace at the start of every episode.

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Entourage

As we await the big screen version, we think it's about time for a rewatch of Entourage, the hedonistic Hollywood-based show about guys who were just about on the right side of douchebag. But while the show might have offered up a lifestyle that we wanted for ourselves, the opening gave us a theme that we wanted to put in a box that could then be buried forever. Hopelessly dated, it was a soft rock nightmare.

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Boy Meets World

Okay so maybe no one expected the theme to this somewhat seminal family sitcom to be ear-pleasing stuff but come on, make an effort guys. Aside from the nightmarish visuals (parents caressing each other in the wing mirror), the profoundly insignificant muzak is begging for some cheesy lyrics that never come. At least that would give it some sort of purpose.

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Quantum Leap

One of the greatest things about growing up in the 90s was getting to watch episode after episode of genius sci-fi drama Quantum Leap which provided a seemingly endless stream of inventive situations for Sam Beckett to be placed in. One of the worst things was having to listen to that god awful theme tune every week. Yes, we know it was a cheesy time for the artform but no that doesn't excuse the elevator music.

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Fresh Meat

After the end of the stellar third season, we were happy to report that Fresh Meat continues to be the funniest British comedy currently on TV and while the visuals that accompany the titles are spot on, the music, less so. In fact, calling it music feels like a misrepresentation. A mass of variously annoying noises might work better.

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Star Trek: Enterprise

This successful Star Trek reinvention lasted for four seasons in the 00s and existed as a prequel to all other Trek shows. While it was mostly shiny and futuristic, the utterly bizarre choice of theme song brought it crashing back down to earth, smashing all of our eardrums on the way. Just press play. But we warned you.